The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-04-22

cold and fanished toward afternoon went
TO my fireIess room and sat down to decide
what sort of brute labor should apply for.
Pride was fairly starved out, and was ready
for anything to appease the fiend Of empti-
ness. BY chance my eye fell upon the table,
q letter lay there. Iopened it, and the words
that set my brain whiTling were these:
There is a clerkship now vacant in our
lower salesroom. By presenting this you
can secure the place. Yours, &C.,
"LEMUEL PENNINGTON"
Judge whether / did secure it. Judge
whether / eagerly threw myself into the
work and came home every evening in 2 re-
deemed oyercoat to paid-up and smiling
landlady. Ned Russell was delighted in
sympathy, but with his usual acuteness he
advised me:
keep your eye on that Bell.
But the house was SO large, the depart
ments so various and the employees so nu-
merous that six months passed and had
never seen Bell, except the few times when
he had CHANGED to walk through the sales
room Always with downcast or restlessly
wandering eyes, and generally with bowed
head, he Iookedslike creature under some
wicked spell. He had not been very longin
with the firm, and not man down stairs
knew him.
AT last, after q years service with PEN
nington q Co., came some events of the sort
that invest the most meagre history of the
most meagre life with little glory. My
love story began in this wise
Mr.. Pennington was i'll and had to carry
some papers to his house. Wishing to make
some memoranda he called out toward the
open door leading into an adjoining room:
PUSSY, bring my inkstand."
"Yes, papa" was the answer. Eyes,
papa, I'll bring it to you." Presently Pussy
one hand and demurely looking down at
the ink carried in an open glass stand in
the other. She came very carefully, very
steadily, with grave little mockery of re-
sponsibility lurking about her lips. had
seen Pussy before-tWice before. | had re-
membered her, aforementioned her, so to
speak, with my mind. / knew just how
pink her chin was; just how brown in the
shadow and golden in the sunlight the
pretty, clear line of her eyebrows; just what
waxen little nose she had, what pearls of
teeth, and what willowy figure. But from
that minute, when she crossed the sunshiny
room, watching the treacherous burden in
her hand, then as she reached us and put it
safely down, looking up with playful
| trillmph-from that minute / remembered
Pussy with my heart. Why from that mo-
ment can't tell. Possibly because but
who ever found logic for love? While life
lasts, when shall have grown a trembling,
gray old man, SO shall see her always-so
in the morning sunshine coming toward me
slowly, steadily, then looking up with
bright smile. And after this worlds sights
and sounds are over I'll ask no fairer vision
again, no purer joy than such warmth, such
hope, such ecstasy as woke that day in my
bOyish heart.
Several weeks Of dreamy unrest passed by
before I dared to think of pushing an ac-
quaintance at the publishers house. There
was no matron to encounter to be sure, for
Mr.. Pennington was a widower, but one
among the big army of little men down
town. / had lost my sense of personal i'm
portance. Yet there was Pussy's smile, there
were Pussy's eyes and Pussy shining braids
Of hair; SO somehow one evening. armed
with business question for the father,
boldly rang the bell and asked for Miss PEN
nington.
she came into the parlor and showed her
understanding of the situation by saying,
with proper gravity, ''Pm SO sorry papa is
outn
ereetly, very early, if you please, Pussy and
| were established friends She was eighteen
| years old; her name was Priscilla. "But
you see," she explained, 'they began by
calling me Pussy, thinking I'd grow up to
the solemn Priscilla, then | never did grow
80 Pussy is Pussy still" finished out
| the phrase for her.
"Ye-yes," and she laughed, but looked
rather scared as / pronounced her name so
| Familiarity, and yet with so capital an excuse.
To tell the truth could feel great heart
beat at my own daring.
| / found out what her tastes were, what
girls were her Every, very dearest friends,
| what young men were allowed to visit the
| house and that she knew Mr.. Bell in papas
| Office"
"What sort of a fellow do you find him p,
inquired with a depreciating sneer.
"Oh very nice" she answered in that
cheerful monotone that women use when
they are particularly puzzling, very nice
| indeed
If anything could increase my dislike to
| Bell it was that Pussy should esteem him.
"And has he,'' asked sarcastically, ''any
particular spite against the human race that
| he carries the countenance of baf1ed
| demon?'
"Oh," said Pussy impulsively and with
anxiety, edo you think he looks SO very
badly; so very unhappy"
"Then he isn't happy, eh?" And spoke
! grimly enough, ''why isn't hep
tsHow should know" exclaimed Pussy
in sort of fright and striving to hide some
emotion. But the color would come surging
into her delicate face and words could have
| told me no palmer that had a rival in Bell
| Next day expected, nothing less than to
be called to account by Pennington But
! the summons never came, and so after fort
night had passed in safety tried the delight
| full experiment of a second visit.
| TOM tIldG bilile CdiIcl every
| week, becoming always more and more in
love with Pussy and confiding everything to
| Ned Russell.
'sHah!' p he would exclaim Indignantly,
eff that rascal Bell hadn't got your ND
you'd be a rich man to-day and could offer
yourself Such romance as it was! Full
of-full Orwell, it was deep, by George,
ieepp'
My feelings toward Bell naturally grew
more and more bitter, as heard his name
mentioned, from time to time, by Pussy. AT
asst one evening we met. CHANGING in rather
early, surprised him in close conversation
with Pussy, sitting next her on the sofa. He
hardly greeted me, but left the house at once.
| don't know how / mastered my voice tc
say you and Mr.. Bell are old friends, it
! seems"
sOh, yes; rather old friends, she answered
indifferently.
When thought the matter over under
stood that Pussy could not see Bell as saw
him the snurly, sneaking, scheming. rogue.
| At any rate, her choice should be made with
open eyes, and resolved to make scheme
that must expose and unmask him. The
very next day entered Bells Office, walked
up to his desk and began curtly
"Mr. Bell, where is my manuscript
AS usual, his head was on his hand and he
| hardly Sfirrad or look ed IN az he answered {.